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Fox News carries live video of man shooting himself after car chase Fox News carries live video of man shooting himself after car chase
(35 minutes later)
Fox News was forced to apologise on Friday after showing a man shooting himself in the head on live television.Fox News was forced to apologise on Friday after showing a man shooting himself in the head on live television.
The network was broadcasting a car chase – a staple of cable news – when at about 3.30pm the suspect dumped the car, stumbled down a track, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.The network was broadcasting a car chase – a staple of cable news – when at about 3.30pm the suspect dumped the car, stumbled down a track, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.
Fox News was streaming helicopter footage, with a voiceover commentary from host Shepard Smith, as it pulled off a road and onto a dirt track in Arizona. While Fox issued an immediate and unqualified apology, other websites – including the vogueish social news site Buzzfeed and longer-established rival Gawker – chose to re-publish unedited video of the apparent suicide.
The vehicle stopped, and a man was seen to get out. He appeared agitated, and looked to be reaching inside the car, but then set off running away from the vehicle, looking over his shoulder. The incident raised questions about the fascination of US news networks with car chases, as well as the lengths to which popular websites will go to attract an audience.
Fox News's live coverage continued as he stopped running, raised what appeared to be a gun to his head, and fell to the ground. For much of Friday afternoon, Fox News had been streaming helicopter footage, with a voiceover commentary from host Shepard Smith, of a car chase near Pheonix, Arizona. For part of the time, police were pursuing the Dodge through the state. By mid-afternoon, police had stopped following the car, but it continued to be tracked by media helicopters.
The channel went back to the studio, where Smith was seen looking off camera and shouting: "Get off it, get off it." The network swiftly cut to a commercial break. Just before 3.30pm the vehicle had slowed to a crawl; the driver turned off the road and onto a dirt track. The driver's door was slightly ajar as the car advanced through the field, before coming to a halt after around 15 seconds. A man wearing a dark sports shirt stepped out of the car, and appeared to reach back inside before walking away.
When Smith returned, he apologised for the graphic coverage, saying that the channel had been carrying the chase on a delay to avoid such an incident, but made a mistake in broadcasting it anyway. The man looked around him before stumbling down the dirt track and then into long grass. He stopped, raised what appeared to be a gun to his head, and fell to the ground.
Fox News went back to the studio, where Smith was seen looking off camera and shouting: "Get off it, get off it." The network swiftly cut to a commercial break.
When Smith returned, he apologised for the graphic coverage, saying that the channel had been carrying the chase on a delay to avoid such an incident, but had made a mistake in broadcasting it anyway.
"While we were taking that car chase and showing it to you live, when the guy pulled over and got out of the vehicle, we went on delay," Smith said."While we were taking that car chase and showing it to you live, when the guy pulled over and got out of the vehicle, we went on delay," Smith said.
"We created a five-second delay so that we would see in the studio what was happening five [seconds] before you did, so if anything went horribly wrong we were able to cut away from it, " he said. "We created a five-second delay so that we would see in the studio what was happening five [seconds] before you did, so if anything went horribly wrong we were able to cut away from it."
"We really messed up, and we're all very sorry. That didn't belong on television. We took every precaution ... I personally apologise to you that that happened," Shepherd continued."We really messed up, and we're all very sorry. That didn't belong on television. We took every precaution ... I personally apologise to you that that happened," Shepherd continued.
"It's not time appropriate, it's not sensitive: it's just wrong," he said. "That won't happen again on my watch, and I'm terribly sorry," Smith said."It's not time appropriate, it's not sensitive: it's just wrong," he said. "That won't happen again on my watch, and I'm terribly sorry," Smith said.
The car had earlier been chased by police, but officers were not following the vehicle at the time the man abandoned it. Fox News did not immediately respond to the Guardian's request for comment. A spokeswoman for Phoenix police said the man was suspected of having stolen the vehicle, and that police had been in pursuit. She said she did not know if the man was dead or alive.
Officers did not appear to bet following the car at the time the man abandoned it.
After Fox News apologised for its error, the Buzzfeed website posted a clip of the incident on its website. It offered users an edited version without the apparent suicide, and an unedited version.After Fox News apologised for its error, the Buzzfeed website posted a clip of the incident on its website. It offered users an edited version without the apparent suicide, and an unedited version.
The Guardian has asked Fox News and Buzzfeed for a comment. Fox News had not responded to a request for further comment by the time of publication.
Buzzfeed issued a statement, which said: "Making an editorial decision on how to cover a sensitive, tragic news event like this is never an easy one. But it is, indeed, a news event and we are a news organization. We posted both an edited version and the full version and we respect our readers' judgment."
• In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be contacted toll-free on 1-800-273-TALK or at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.• In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be contacted toll-free on 1-800-273-TALK or at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
• In the UK the Samaritans can be contacted on 08457 909090 or at www.samaritans.org.uk.• In the UK the Samaritans can be contacted on 08457 909090 or at www.samaritans.org.uk.